Royito’s Hot and Zesty Chicken Wings

Whether or not you’re a football fan, the Super Bowl (Superbowl?) can be a good time. As for me, I am far more emotionally invested in what the secret ingredient is going to be on Iron Chef this Sunday than who will win the game, but I’m having a party anyways. Why? Because parties are fun. And I need more excuses to try out my Royito’s recipes on someone besides my cat. He hates everything.

Let me just say I have never really cooked wings before, and there are about a thousand ways to do it (though if you go to Buffalo they will tell you there is only one way, their way. But why would you go to Buffalo?). I’ve been experimenting and have come up with my favorite way to do it- and it’s baked in the oven rather than fried so it’s definitely super nutritious and packed full of anti-oxidants (does butter have anti-oxidants?). You can certainly fry these guys in oil if you want, but I find if you’re cooking for a crowd the oven is always the simplest route.

So even if you’re only tuning in to see Beyoncé reclaim her rightful stake on the soul of every American, invite some people over and give this recipe a shot. (BTW…my computer just automatically changed “Beyonce” to “Beyoncé”…She is watching.)

Alright, let’s get started:

First you get a bag of chicken wings and drumettes marinating in some buttermilk and Royito’s.

I know this doesn’t look super appetizing right now but just bear with me here.

After marinating in the fridge for at least 2 hours, pull them out and put them on a wire rack and pat each one dry with a paper towel. This will help them crisp up better.

Once they are dry, put the wire rack on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and pop them in a 400 degree oven for 12 minutes.

While the wings are in the oven, make the sauce. Heat half a stick of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add in Royito’s, followed by cayenne pepper and lemon pepper. You can leave the last two out, but I like it cause it gives that extra heat and zest.

Boom, sauce is done. Turn the heat down to low to keep it warm.

Now I’m doing something different here for the last 8-10 minutes. Turn the BROILER on in your oven and allow the wings to crisp up on each side. Once they have browned nicely on the top (about 4-5 minutes), take them out and flip them over and let them brown on the bottom. This is to get that nice crispy exterior you would get if you fried them. Please note that every oven is different so keep a close eye on these under the broiler! When they are done, they should look like this:

Directions:In a plastic bag or baking dish, pour buttermilk and 1 cup of Royito’s over chicken and mix to evenly coat. Allow this to marinate in the refrigerator for at least two hours, the longer the better (up to 24 hours).

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and place them on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pat the chicken dry on both sides to allow for better crisping. Bake on a rack positioned in the middle of the oven for 12 minutes, skin side up.

While the wings are in the oven, make your sauce. Melt butter in a saucepan and add the other cup of Royito’s. Then add in cayenne and lemon pepper and stir to combine- sauce is done!

After 12 minutes has passed, turn the broiler on to crisp up the outside for another 4-5 minutes. Once they are dark brown and crispy on top, remove them from the oven, flip them, and allow broil them on the other side for another 4-5 minutes until crispy. (Note: every oven/broiler is different so keep a close eye while they are broiling to ensure they do not scorch.)

Remove the wings from the oven, toss them in the sauce, and serve with a blue cheese or ranch dressing.